Page 2 of Man of the Month Club: January
I’m trying to figure out a way to slip out of here without being noticed. The last thing I want is to pretend to be happy for these lovely ladies as they each find their one true love, while I remain all alone.
I take a giant slurp from my drink, intending to down it and hightail it out of here. Brain freeze hits and has me palming my forehead as Phoebe says, “The woman who is scientifically the best match for Jett is… drumroll please…”
She pauses dramatically, and I feel like rolling my eyes. I truly don’t care which of these beauties matches with her sexy cousin.
“Maggie!” she shouts.
My eyes nearly pop out of my head as all eyes at the table turn to look at me. The women are squealing with delight, but my face morphs into a frown. I shake my head. “But I didn’t fill out anything.”
Ciara’s gaze turns sheepish, and I immediately know what has happened. I glare at my friend, who obviously filled out the survey for me, and say, “Please tell me you didn’t…”
2
Jett
Iwant to throttle my cousin, Phoebe, for talking me into doing this. The last thing I want is to be paraded about as some hot, eligible bachelor. I’m nobody’s dream of the perfect man, so I’m not sure why she wants me to pretend to be something I’m not.
I’ve always been close to Phoebe. She is one of the few people who know what my childhood was really like. She is more of a sister than a cousin to me, and she played on that connection to trick me into being the male guinea pig for her new dating application. I was prepared to give her a hard pass, but I am utterly defenseless against her giant puppy-dog eyes. She knows that, and she used them against me.Evil woman.
The bar where tonight’s fiasco is taking place is a little soft for my tastes, although it does have an impressive beer selection and a colorful, classic jukebox that I would love to have in my new house. The song coming from the Wurlitzer is one of my favorites by Fleetwood Mac. If it wasn’t for my cousin’s outlandish scheme, I might actually enjoy hanging out here this evening.
Even though I see the rowdy group of women with my cousin holding court at a high-top table, I head straight to the bar to order a pint. It will probably be the first of many needed to get me through this ridiculous charade.
Phoebe hasn’t yet noticed my arrival, so I use the giant mirror behind the bar to take a covert look at the ladies gathered around her. As I had suspected, they are pretty princesses––primped to perfection and completely wrong for me.
I’m tempted to sneak out of here before Phoebe catches a glimpse of me. The girls look like they are having fun without a piece of man candy to get in the way. Besides, I know exactly how this will play out. They’ll all fawn over me and vie for the date with me, but once the ‘lucky’ winner gets to know the real me, she’ll fall over her own feet in her haste to get away.
My looks make a fantastic first impression, but my dark, gruff personality scares them off every time. A smart man would save us all the effort and disappointment.
I take a giant gulp of my beer, intending to finish it off and quickly leave. My head is still tipped back when I see her reflection in the mirror.
She’s striking and so different from the other women at the table. While the other ladies are smiling, bubbly, and perfectly made-up, she is more toned down and natural. Her raw realness makes the other women at the table seem fake. I can’t take my eyes off her, and that is how Phoebe catches me.
“Jett!” She yells and motions with her hand for me to join them at the table.
I quickly down the rest of my beer before reluctantly standing to walk over to them. The women squeal and clap excitedly as I head in their direction––all of them, except one.
The dark haired, natural beauty refuses to make eye contact with me as I approach. Her shoulders curve inward as if she wants to cave in on herself and disappear. I can’t take my eyes off her. It’s as if she truly has no idea how intriguing she is. Her radiance draws me in as I walk toward the group.
My step falters, but only slightly, when I see the scars slashing across the side of her face and neck. She’s angling her head down, as if trying to hide behind her thick curtain of hair. Suddenly, her demure shyness makes sense. She doesn’t realize how her unique beauty shines out like a beacon on a dark, foggy night. Scarring or not, she is the loveliest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I want to tell her, but know it’s too soon to weigh in with my opinion on what is no doubt a sensitive subject.
“Everyone, this is my cousin, Jett,” Phoebe says. Her tone is filled with excitement.
The last thing I want to do is disappoint my enthusiastic cousin, but I sense what is coming. Trying to sit through a date with one of these bimbos will set my teeth on edge. If I could somehow be paired with the shy, natural beauty, I’d be all in. But chances are slim that I’ll be matched with her. Besides, she’s too delicate and precious to go out with a brute like me.
The women all make appreciative noises and murmurs as they gaze up at me––everyone except the person I want to notice me. She won’t even glance in my direction, despite the fact that she must feel my gaze boring into her.
“Ladies,” I say by way of greeting, never taking my eyes off the only woman I’m interested in.
She yanks at her sleeve and crosses her arms over her chest as she continues staring down at the table. Her obvious disinterest in me makes me even more desperate for her to notice me.
Phoebe says dramatically, “I have your results and one person sitting at this table is a near-perfect match for you.”
I could have told her that without the stupid app, but my guess is that her scientific results won’t align with my choice.
Phoebe reveals, “The woman you are going on a date with is… Maggie!”
I don’t know any of the women’s names, but the pink creeping up the cheeks of the woman I’m staring at makes me hopeful that she is Maggie. When the other women turn to her and begin tittering, a wide smile stretches across my face.
